My sister's been begging me to read this forever and I've had her copy on my shelf for the longest time...now I have my own! Yay!

The Children of Hurin by J. R. R. Tolkien - $5

I'm not the biggest Tolkien fan, but I do really enjoy his books (I've read LotR). I've had my eye on this one for a while now.

The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - $.50

I bought this more for my sister than for myself, but it's been on my TBR for so long that I feel I should at least give it a shot. And it's about the French Revolution - I'll love it, right? ;)

Wither by Lauren DeStefano - $2

Yes, this copy is in mint condition. I swear its pages are still warm from the press. Mmmmhmmm and it was $2!! What now!!

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep - $3

Okay, okay, so I don't have Touch of Frost, but this was a steal, really. I ordered the first from the library as soon as I got home so I can get to this one!

Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - $3

Another steal. In really good condition. I'm going to have to read this in the next month so I can get to the NetGalley I received of Goddess Interrupted. (That's coming...)

Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen - $.50

I really enjoyed Yolen's Queen's Own Fool, and I also enjoy Arthurian legends (even though I've never read one...) and so this should do nicely. :)

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - $.50

I've never read any Anderson yet. Sad, huh? I know. So here it is, a book that's been recommended multiple times before. I shall have to have to have to read it!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - $2

I read about this book for school and thought it looked extreeeemely interesting. And then I discovered it's being made into a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and I thought, "I need to get my hands on the book ASAP!"

(Dracula was added in because I bought it...but I already had a copy...my plans for this copy is to make wrapping paper out of the pages! The copy was $2.)

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay - $5

This has just been sitting and sitting and sitting at the paperback book exchange for a really really really long time. So. I had to fix that, right? And look at how gorgeous that cover is! And I love Russian history. This is going to be a treat! :D

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott - $3

This is yet another book that I've wanted to read for, like, years, and haven't gotten around to it. This should make me "get around to it", and soon.

The only book I bought this month that was full price. This was suuuuch a great book (read my review!) and I'm so excited for a re-read!

The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry - $7

I love Bargains on Amazon!! :D Hardcover for less than half the price? One of my favorite books? Brand new? Yes? Please?! (Read my review!)

THE STASH

(Minus the last two...)

For a total of $57. That's kind of a record, right? That's gotta be a record!

FOR MY NOOK

Ok, Ok, I bought these, too, but I never buy ebooks. So they go in a separate section.

Oppression by Jessica Therrien (Children of the Gods #1)- $.99

I bought this on Barnes & Noble when it was REALLY cheap. But you can get it for only $2.99 for both Nook and Kindle! And this cover - I mean, sheesh! BEAUTIFUL!

Bourne by Lisa T. Bergren (River of Time #3.1) - #3

I love Lisa, and Lisa's books, and everything that entails. So of course I bought this. DUH.

(And I know you're madly in love with that portrayal of Greco. Back off - he's mine!)

Hana by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #1.5) - $3

This book was so sad... I'm not going to do a review on it because I don't normally review (or read, for that matter) short stories about trilogies/series. It's weird for me... But this one was good, and I mean, it's Lauren. How can I NOT read it?

NETGALLEY

(Can I just say that I hate this cover with a freaking passion? Ok. Glad that's out there. But the book looks great! Haha!)

(Now this cover. THIS. I LOVE.)

Yeah. So, it was a lot. But amusing, I'm sure. Oh who am I kidding? I know you're all asleep by now, exhausted by the amount of energy it took to climb that mountain...er, read that post. ;)

But I'm back. It's exciting!!! :D I have lots of fun stuff in store... Like that giveaway I promise, and other giveaways from AWESOME authors who I LOVE and canNOT wait to have on my blog, and looootsssss of reviews, and some new Compilation and VS posts... All coming soon!! :D

OH! And I'm going to my first book signing soon. YES! MY VERY FIRST! So...anyone have any advice? Any stories about book signings you've been to?

Unfortunately, the time has come yet again for me to take a break. I recently was hired as a nanny for an awesome family, and this month she has asked me to work extra. Obviously, this is great work, and I kind of need great work right now, and so I took the extra work.

A 200 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY!!!!!! Yep, and I'm hoping, due to the hours and hours of extra work I'm getting this month, that I'll be able to do a big one...and super fun...and just awesome and celebratory and such.

But for now... I have a different giveaway going on: PRETTY CROOKED by Elisa Ludwig!!!

Willa Fox is no extraordinary girl, but her life has never been ordinary. She's moved all over the country with her single mom, an artist just waiting to make it big. But then she does make it big, and Willa's life is flipped dramatically.
First, they get the fancy new house. Next, Willa is accepted into Valley Prep, the wealthiest school around. Not only that, but Willa is befriended by the Glitterati, and, believe it or not, the hottest guy at school who seems to have some special interest in her.
The life of glam is wonderful, for a time. But what about Mary, Sierra and Alicia, nice girls who rely on scholarships to get this kind of an education? When the Glitterati start to cross the line, taking good humor to the level of obscene, Willa has an idea. With the help of Tre and even the Glitterati themselves, Willa keeps her eye on one goal - to bring balance and justice to the filthy rich halls of Valley Prep.

MY THOUGHTS -

Helloooo! Elisa Ludwig deserves a standing ovation!! Pretty Crooked is just one of those well-written, well-built, awe-inspiring books that leaves you totally satisfied but wanting more. I love this book and will be very proud to have it on my shelf. I'm already looking forward to reading this again and again and again!

CHARACTER NOTES -

Willa was fantastic. I love her to death. Her voice (mixed perfectly with Elisa Ludwig's writing style) caught me from the very beginning. I agreed with some of her decisions and disagreed with others, but that was something that really drew me in - is everything she's doing right, or only some, or none of it? (More on that in story notes...) In any case, I really respected her and felt I could relate to her. She rocked this book and I would totally read the next book just because of her.

But, amazingly, there is quite a bit more draw than just Willa. Aiden? Ummm yes please! I didn't feel like he was a major role, but the end totally bumped him up and I'm sure there will be more of him in the next book! He was...so confusing, so wonderful, so just...Aiden. I'm in love with him. True story.

I liked the other characters a lot as well! The mean girls were mean.... Like, MEAN. And even the mean girl who wasn't so mean was just...ugh. She cared more about social status than standing up for the right thing, which infuriated me almost more than the mean girls themselves. All the characters were really three dimensional and so impressive.

STORY NOTES -

This story is a puzzle, a moral question, a self-questioner. Literally the whole book I was asking myself, "Is this right? Is it necessarily wrong? Is it justice or revenge? Is this okay?! What would I do???"

On top of that, there were a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The two big ones that had me really guessing: Willa's mom (what the heck is she doing?!) and Aiden (mmmm). I really really want to know more!

And can I just say - I felt way cool reading the scenes in which Willa... *ahem* does her thing. You know, steals. It sounds so bad. It really does. But what kind of an honest reviewer would I be if I didn't put that in here? It was like, I felt cool, and super awesome that Willa was trying to smooth things out in her school, and yet really really guilty at the same time. I mean, how did Elisa do that to me?! I have no idea. Ask her. ;)

I don't want to say too much about the story line because I feel like I'll give it away but man! I just enjoyed it so much! It was fascinating, well-written, with brilliant characters, great plot twists, and lots and lots of good questions!!

1. My parents spelled my name wrong but I will answer to all the mispronounced versions.

2. I love to make ice cream.

3. My first car, when I was 16, was a station wagon that once transported Public Enemy from the airport. (I did not drive them but my sister did.)

4. I can bench press 125 pounds.

5. I still have my first pair of Doc Martens. They're purple and I'll still wear them every now and again.

What are five books you think everyone should read?

Feed by MT Anderson

The Beggar Maid by Alice Munro

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

How has writing and being published affected your life?

I have been a freelance writer for many years, but finally being published and getting to write fiction professionally has been an exhilarating experience. Every day is an adventure, and as I inch closer to publication it gets more and more exciting. New people, new firsts, new things to learn. The main thing is that my dreams and my reality have finally merged, which sounds obvious, I guess, but it feels like finally being home in a way. And connecting with other authors and bloggers has been even more rewarding. I feel extremely lucky!

Who is your favorite character that you have created and why?

As far as Pretty Crooked goes, I would say Tre is my favorite character. He's just really intriguing to me, full of interesting contradictions, and he's a great friend to Willa.

I seriously love the title Pretty Crooked! What was the inspiring idea behind it?

I'm so glad you love it but I can't take credit since I didn't think of the title! Originally it had a different name but the brilliant folks at HarperCollins came up with Pretty Crooked.

Was the connection between Willa's full name and nickname (Willa Fox and Sly Fox) planned, or did it surprise you?

She actually had a different last name to begin with but Sly Fox was such a fun nickname that my editor and I decided to go back and change it.

Is there anything about Willa that reminds you of yourself?

I think we probably have the same sense of humor! Otherwise, we're pretty different and that makes it really fun to write from her point of view. When I write characters who are more like me, I tend to get a little sick of them.

What is one thing you love about Aidan and one thing you love about Tre?

I love Aidan's rebellion against his father. To me, this is what gives him some texture. He's got some issues going on that are not fully explored in this first book but which I hope will become a little clearer in the other books. I already gushed about Tre above, but I'll add that I love his quiet intelligence. In his own way, he's got everything figured out.

What was the biggest adventure (and/or the most fun) to write about: Car theft, pickpocketing, or house robbery?

Well, I loved writing all of those scenes! I think I probably had a huge mischievous grin on my face as I was working on them. But I guess I would say the scene in French class is my favorite of the bunch. It was very vivid to me. I remember my heart quickening just thinking about doing what Willa does.

Because I'm an excited fangirl.... How many books about Willa do you have planned to write?

Aw. This made me smile! So far there are only three books in the series. Book 2 is finished, and I'm about to start Book 3. Very excited to see where Willa goes next!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I just want to say thank you so much for having me, Sierra!

______________________________________________________

Isn't she fantastic, everyone?! Leave her some comment love and please check out the review and giveaway of Pretty Crooked!!

Friday, March 9, 2012

I only bought one book this week. I wasn't even going to do that, but Mimi Valentine's review for Switched by Amanda Hocking convinced me to go buy the used (but pretty much brand new) copy of the book I'd seen at the used bookstore the other day. It totaled $3 and I'm a happy girl! :)

That's a lot...and like I say every time - I hope I have time for it all... ;)

As for the news... Well, the official post will be posted some time next month, but basically I won't be able to do much blogging this month....and since I reached 200 followers this week, I will be hosting a giveaway in the beginning of April! :D So, good and bad news. Details to come!

ALSO....on Monday, I have my review of Pretty Crooked, a giveaway (EEEEEKK!!!) and an AWESOME interview with Elisa Ludwig, who, in my opinion, is fantabulous. As is her book. Just you wait. It's coming out next Tuesday and I'm ECSTATIC!! :D

Kira Walker, a scientist in the Maternity Ward, has seen the saddest side of humanity, the biggest issue that brings society down, that threatens to destroy the human race altogether. She has seen mothers give birth to babies, babies who are instantly taken by the virus, RM. She has seen the mothers, screaming for their babies as the bodies are taken away. For fourteen years, no baby has left the hospital alive.

The Partials did this; they made war on the humans and killed most of the race. What is left lives on an island off mainland New York. The Partials may be the greatest enemy, but Kira believes they may have the key to curing RM, the virus they originally brought upon society. And when Kira has the once in a lifetime opportunity to capture a live Partial for testing, she takes it, risking life, love and happiness for the good of all mankind.

MY THOUGHTS -

My feelings toward this book could be described as average... I liked it a lot, but there were some of things things...you know the ones...that tend to lead to a lower rating. The writing was good, solid, but not my favorite. I liked the science parts but felt they got too wordy and sometimes confusing (and then I'd move on and realize I didn't even need all that information anyway). Kira is a strong MC who I liked, but couldn't fully relate to or care about. See what I mean?

CHARACTER NOTES -

Like I just said, Kira was totally strong. She stood her ground and made a difference; she pushed through and conquered. But for some reason, I didn't care like I wanted to, like I thought I would. I've tried to pinpoint why, but I can't, so I just have to accept that I just didn't, because. Frustrating, right?

As for side characters, they were all good to read about, even if they lacked depth or development. My two favorites, and probably the most developed of all the characters, are Marcus and Samm. They really jumped off the page and into reality: Marcus because of his humor and life, and Samm because of the seriousness of his situation and how he handled it.

STORY NOTES -

For some reason, this book took me nearly two weeks to read. That's extremely odd to me; it never takes me that long. I can't blame it all on the story - I was abnormally busy one of those two weeks - but I can say that when I did have time to read I always wanted to read something else. Partials wasn't exactly a boring book, per say, but it didn't draw me in completely like I'd been hoping. I enjoyed it when I read it but never felt completely "there" - except for when I was reading about Marcus or Samm.

The story was fairly consistent throughout - until the end. Like, the last chapter. The last chapter was such a dramatic change from the one before it. I felt there should have been a bit more to make that transition. It felt like the author was trying to hurry up.

Despite that, I really did enjoy this story. I'm interested in finding answers...there are a lot of unanswered questions and a ton of unfinished business. I look forward to Fragments.

SUMMING IT UP -

Interesting! It doesn't shout "AMAZING" or WOW me in shock with awesomess, but I know plenty of readers who have loved this book. (Check out this review if you want to see what I mean: the drifting bookworm.) So while it wasn't the best book for me, and I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, I'd say give it a shot if you're interested!

For the Parents -
A few crude or sexual comments. Reference to one of Kira's friends sleeping with a Senator to get pregnant. A few bloody fight scenes. Recommended 14+

*This ARC copy was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review. I was in no way compensated; all thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.*

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

She covered her head with her blanket and listened to Gabe's melancholy singing. When she fell asleep, she dreamed of death - not just for her, not just for her species, but for every living thing she had ever known. The Earth was flat and wide and brown, a field of dirt as barren as the moon, a single road stretching into the endless distance. The last to fall were the buildings, distant and solemn, the gravestone for an entire world. Then they disappeared, and there was nothing left but nothing.

- Chapter 13, pages 113-114

I love the reality this gives. It's not just about her, or even about her family members. It's not even about the entire human race. It's about the entire world. That is what tripped me out about this paragraph, and this book in general.

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About Me

I love Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. I love my family, my parents and two sisters. I love music. I love a good movie, even the cheesy ones. I love photography and the "glow" tool on Picasa. I love to read and write. I love my life.
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